Meredith and Cristina Will Always Be the Best Couple on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Tonight, Grey’s Anatomy will air its 300th episode. It’s a momentous occasion for a devoted fan like me, who has watched every single episode (and most more than once). I’ve stuck with the show through good and bad—from the first couple of seasons, when missing an episode kept you out of the pop-culture conversation, through the admittedly not-so-great middle years, and out the other side to today, when a large swath of people are shocked to find out the show’s still on the air.

We loyal fans have truly seen it all, especially when it comes to relationships. Der and Mer. Burke and Cristina. Meredith and the vet. Derek and Addie. Denny and Izzie. Alex and Izzie. Izzie and George. (I’m still annoyed about that one.) Callie and George. Arizona and Callie. McSteamy and Lexie. Jackson and April. April and that paramedic she left at the altar. Bailey and Ben. Alex and Jo…seriously, the limit does not exist when it comes to couples on this show.

But there is one pairing that reigns supreme: Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang.

Derek “McDreamy” Shepard may have been Meredith’s great love, but her “person” will always be Cristina—and vice versa. And that’s not just because (spoiler!) Derek’s dead. Like many great relationships that have come before, these two (played by Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh) got serious over cocktails. I can’t even imagine calling someone your “person” not being a part of the vernacular, and it’s all thanks to Yang and Grey.

But being someone’s person is more than just hugs over boys, though those are super important. There’s a level of true and complete acceptance between Cristina and Meredith. They embrace each other’s perceived flaws—Cristina’s ambition, Meredith’s dark and twisty insides—sometimes even viewing them as strengths. That’s not to say that they haven’t had some emotionally-gutting fights, especially as Mer pursued both her career and a family at the same time. But never for a moment did I think they wouldn’t work it out.

These two will always choose each other—no “Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me” speech required. The men in their lives, while loved wholly and deeply, come second and will often get the boot from their own beds if the ladies need each other. And they need each other a lot. I mean, a lot. They’ve gone through surgical residency, failed weddings, miscarriages, births, almost drownings, the death of parents and countless colleagues, friends and siblings, a hospital shooting, a plane crash, buying the hospital where they work (don’t ask!), and so many more crises that make for great TGIT viewing but can really test a relationship.

Through it all, Meredith and Cristina know that together they can face anything. Isn’t that everything you want out of a relationship? And when all else fails, they dance it out—like they did once last time before Cristina departed to take her dream job in Switzerland. Even her parting words to her forever bestie are perfect: “I gotta go. You stay here. You are a gifted surgeon with an extraordinary mind. Don’t let what he wants eclipse what you need. He’s very dreamy, but he’s not the sun. You are.” Swoon.

If only we could listen in on their FaceTime convos. Web spinoff perhaps, Shonda?

Until then, long live the Twisted Sisters.

Related Stories: Shonda Rhimes and Ellen Pompeo Have a Pact About When They’ll End Grey’s Anatomy